Scan barcode
essjay1's review
3.0
I couldn’t decide on 3 or 4 stars ... I liked the unusual structure, and the strong characters. The idea of the land being the story, as opposed to the people who inhabit the land, is explored really well. But I just did not feel like it all held together as well as it could have. The future looks very bleak in the 2033 & 2070 chapters - that storm still haunts me.
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Storyland is a novel that explores 400 years of Australian history - past, present and future. It’s told via five distinct narratives that unfurl forwards and then curl back in time, similar I believe to Cloud Atlas which I haven’t read. Some star actual people, some feature real events, and some are purely fictional. The book touches on all the expected aspects of Australian history including Aboriginal culture, early colonialism, convicts, immigration and of course a dystopian future. The structure meant it took some time for me to settle into this book. It seemed like I’d find my feet and then I’d be in a different story. The fact that all shared the same Illawarra setting did offer some coherency and focus, as did the sometimes surprising links between each story - little Easter eggs if you will. And as the book progressed common themes presented including race, violence, sexism and the environment. Not every section is tied up neatly in a bow which may well frustrate some readers. This is an ambitious work but I think the McKinnon has pulled it off and crafted a clever, engaging thought provoking story.
hatrireads's review
4.0
Slow start but then halfway through I couldn't put it down. Separate stories spanning several different time periods, all connected by the land. This novel is about a place and how the land changes the story. Great history of Australian coastline, south of Sydney. All my Aussie friends should read. I don't think it's published in US yet. Recommended by my favorite bookseller at Blues Point Books. Highly recommend!
desterman's review
4.0
'Storyland' is an ambitious and unique work spanning hundreds of years of Australian history. The novel interlocks five different stories from Australia's past reflecting Aboriginal Australia, early colonialism, convict settlement, multiculturalism and then travels to a dark apocalyptic future. It's about a lot of things, but essentially identity and how identity is linked to both place and one's past. Whilst there will be inevitable comparisons with David Mitchell's 'Cloud Atlas', I felt this was more uniquely Australian than anything I've read in a long time. All of the stories are set in the same place - around the Illawarra - and the sense of place is so powerfully wrought it's utterly immersive. The characterisation is quite strong, although not faultless. The thing that I appreciated most about it though is that it tackles head on one of the key issues at the heart of Australian history - are we really who we think we are?
interrowhimper's review
3.0
I picked this up for the Australiana and it didn’t disappoint. There was even a mention of the cube-shaped poop of wombats. The story structure was unique but a little offputting - a series of vignettes sliding forward and then backward in time. Some of the stories were more compelling than others. Enjoyable.
rikkireads_'s review
3.0
This is a really good book, and I found some moments in it really compelling, I personally was just slightly let down by some parts that I just didn't feel captured by. And you know what, as I write this I realise that not only were those parts the 'historical' parts (which I did already realise, and as a fan and previous student of history I was surprised by) but they were also the sections with the male voices/protagonists.
Here it is important to note that the novel is set in and around the same geographical area (Lake Illawarra) but spans centuries. Each time setting has a different protagonist, they are loosely linked. It begins in the 18th century onto the 19th, 20th and beyond, and then goes back the way it came. For that reason, the middle third was my favourite, but it took time for me to get into the novel, and my interested petered out a bit at the end.
Still, it was an interesting concept (which everyone keeps saying is pretty much exactly like Cloud Atlas but I have never read that), and the Australian setting, the Aboriginal issues and perspectives explored, the speculative aspect and and the impressive female characters kept me engaged for the most part.
3.5 stars :)
Here it is important to note that the novel is set in and around the same geographical area (Lake Illawarra) but spans centuries. Each time setting has a different protagonist, they are loosely linked. It begins in the 18th century onto the 19th, 20th and beyond, and then goes back the way it came. For that reason, the middle third was my favourite, but it took time for me to get into the novel, and my interested petered out a bit at the end.
Still, it was an interesting concept (which everyone keeps saying is pretty much exactly like Cloud Atlas but I have never read that), and the Australian setting, the Aboriginal issues and perspectives explored, the speculative aspect and and the impressive female characters kept me engaged for the most part.
3.5 stars :)
kwameslusher's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
5.0
‘The land is a book waiting to be read, learn to read it and you will never go hungry.’
This novel consists of five interlocking narratives: four set in the past, the fifth set in the future.
The narrative opens in 1796, with Will Martin, a young cabin boy, accompanying Matthew Flinders and George Bass as they travel south from Sydney Cove to the Illawarra in the tiny Tom Thumb. It’s an exploratory journey, which gets off to an inauspicious start when their drinking water is spoiled. The need to find fresh water drives them ashore. The second time they venture ashore, they meet two Indigenous men. But goodwill evaporates and the Europeans retreat.
And then the story moves to 1822, from Will Martin to Hawker. Hawker is a convict assigned to tilling fields, desperate to be somewhere else, brutal, opportunistic and self-serving. I recognise the land, from the description in Will Martin’s story. Europeans are settling it; Indigenous people are being dispossessed. I don’t want to dwell on Hawker’s story and am happy when the narrative moves on.
In 1900, Lola McBride, her brother Abe and sister Mary run a dairy farm on the Illawarra. They come under suspicion when a girl goes missing. There’s more than one tragedy about to play out here.
‘One group names the town for the land that is strong and solid behind it, the other names it for the water that lies before it or above it.’
In 1998, we meet Bel and her friends. This is multicultural Australia, a diversity of opinion and acceptance providing a stark contrast to 1822 and 1900. But there’s violence as well, and connections to the past. Reminders of people who came before.
‘The earth is a body breathing.’
Jump forward to the future, where in 2033 Nada’s world starts to fall apart. This is cleverly done, uncomfortable to read, and has its own links to the past. Items are found, items which readers will remember from earlier stories, items now entirely separate from earlier connections. The focus in Nada’s story is on survival, in a land which has changed.
So, what does the future hold? How has the past and the environment shaped us? How do we fit into the present? I found this an enjoyable (mostly) and challenging novel to read. I admired the way in which Ms McKinnon deftly used a sentence (involving the flight of birds) to shift from one character to the next. This continuity in the natural environment both frames and connects the individual stories.
This is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking novels I have read.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This novel consists of five interlocking narratives: four set in the past, the fifth set in the future.
The narrative opens in 1796, with Will Martin, a young cabin boy, accompanying Matthew Flinders and George Bass as they travel south from Sydney Cove to the Illawarra in the tiny Tom Thumb. It’s an exploratory journey, which gets off to an inauspicious start when their drinking water is spoiled. The need to find fresh water drives them ashore. The second time they venture ashore, they meet two Indigenous men. But goodwill evaporates and the Europeans retreat.
And then the story moves to 1822, from Will Martin to Hawker. Hawker is a convict assigned to tilling fields, desperate to be somewhere else, brutal, opportunistic and self-serving. I recognise the land, from the description in Will Martin’s story. Europeans are settling it; Indigenous people are being dispossessed. I don’t want to dwell on Hawker’s story and am happy when the narrative moves on.
In 1900, Lola McBride, her brother Abe and sister Mary run a dairy farm on the Illawarra. They come under suspicion when a girl goes missing. There’s more than one tragedy about to play out here.
‘One group names the town for the land that is strong and solid behind it, the other names it for the water that lies before it or above it.’
In 1998, we meet Bel and her friends. This is multicultural Australia, a diversity of opinion and acceptance providing a stark contrast to 1822 and 1900. But there’s violence as well, and connections to the past. Reminders of people who came before.
‘The earth is a body breathing.’
Jump forward to the future, where in 2033 Nada’s world starts to fall apart. This is cleverly done, uncomfortable to read, and has its own links to the past. Items are found, items which readers will remember from earlier stories, items now entirely separate from earlier connections. The focus in Nada’s story is on survival, in a land which has changed.
So, what does the future hold? How has the past and the environment shaped us? How do we fit into the present? I found this an enjoyable (mostly) and challenging novel to read. I admired the way in which Ms McKinnon deftly used a sentence (involving the flight of birds) to shift from one character to the next. This continuity in the natural environment both frames and connects the individual stories.
This is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking novels I have read.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
lozlox's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Colonisation
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Racial slurs
kashvm's review
3.0
Read this for a creative writing class at university
I appreciate the amount of research and accuracy that went into tying all the storylines together - it was fascinating seeing how the land and the people changed over time, and the feeling of mystique and magic, the sense of humanity being larger than the here and now, really came across.
I'm also very impressed at how distinct each perspective was - likely because they're based on real people - because with so many different POVS it can get easy for voices to blend into one another, which in this case, they didn't!
Overall a very interesting read.
I appreciate the amount of research and accuracy that went into tying all the storylines together - it was fascinating seeing how the land and the people changed over time, and the feeling of mystique and magic, the sense of humanity being larger than the here and now, really came across.
I'm also very impressed at how distinct each perspective was - likely because they're based on real people - because with so many different POVS it can get easy for voices to blend into one another, which in this case, they didn't!
Overall a very interesting read.